Thanks for your research and thoughts. I guess DACs are like amps, we have all heard it... they can use a lot of the same technology and sound quite different. I get interested in tech, then tired, finally coming back to the same place... the sound is not at all just the parts and technology, but the voicing of those things together. And this puts me back to getting stuff that is made by folks I believe in and who know sound the way I like it.

I guess I think the ear is probably the most important part in the final design process when all the parts matter...caps, resistors, wires, chips, input and output section parts and configurations, vibration control, solder, connectors ....then it is up to us with components, cables, feet, tubes...lots and lots of variations possible with the same stock DAC or amp.

I went through a lot of comments and tech talk when I decided to try my Tranquility DAC...a DAC not at all in the trend of high resolution and async popularity. And though I tend to mistrust some aspects of trends (especially with all the latest tech truths blaring on), I still find it seductive, but finally I decided to try the super simple, NOS, 44.1/16 Tranquility anyway. A lot of hard core listeners agreed that it sounded more like the music than a lot of other offerings.....for many, better than most popular DACs up to 3 times its price, no matter the Res, bit rate, async... like Ayre, Wired For Sound, PSAudio Perfect Wave, Wavelength and so on....

Me, in the gear sticks, I had no real way to try stuff. So I talked to the developer, and I liked what I heard...a smart guy, clearly on a creative quest. Reminded me of the first time I talked to Steve Deckert, you can tell when they are "on it" in a personal quest for great audio.

In hand, the Tranquility was much better than my pretty heavily modded Oppo 83, the Rega Apollo I had, and my ZDAC/Zstage combo. It had this great way of not being there and was particularly brilliant at the upper range of information, presenting subtle micro detail, ambience and shimmer in remarkably clear and musical ways. Then after getting the new output stage, the DAC outdid itself notably, and I have had no real desire to look further. REal feeling music in this room has remained my goal, and I have it.

My system clearly reveals traits of different ICs, different feet and foot placement, power cables, tubes, and the rest. I know I would not hear a lot of what I hear if my front end were not very, very resolving and musical. And actually, it is not just the Tranquility, but how it works with a tweaked Mac Mini, highly adjustable Pure Music player software, a great USB power interface, and cable and feet synergy.

So is 44.1 enough...Clearly all DACs are not created equal, no matter the tech, and it may still just depend.

The Tranquility team had very good ears and minds. They got where they were going with repeated blind testing in multiple systems, and comparisons to master tapes. They surprised themselves that they could not get more of what they liked with high res and async. And if you think about it, you would have to be a fool in this Hi-Res/async world to try to market a NOS DAC if you did not feel it was solidly better.

Anyway, I am content for now with this particular 44.1/16 DAC, and it likely would have made the Mystery amp and the MkIV sound different than the Teac. Who knows just how, but likely different, and probably very good if my system is an indicator.

I appreciate your input on those two amps by the way.

It will be really interesting to hear reports of how they work in different rooms, and with different components, feet, cables and so on as more Decware lovers get them. I did not like the Torii MkIII anywhere near as much at first as I do now that I have adjusted the amp itself, and the rest of the system/room with it as part of the whole. And my guess is that listening to it here, it would sound like family, but perhaps not necessarily like the same amp in comparison to a stock MkIII in Steve's system/room.

This is part of what I love about the Torii...it lets us adjust it to our own system/rooms and tastes, while stimulating creative refinement with all the other parts...working together to get that captivating players in the room feeling. That is an incredible thing!

I guess all this rambling has convinced me that I am probably very good with my MkIV order. It will be great fun to play with.

I'm listening to my modded Zen-A, trying out "new" music, and I keep thinking to myself...I wonder what this is going to sound like on the Mystery amp!? It's going to be like rediscovering my collection all over again. Even now, listening to discs I've heard hundreds of times, I'm catching things I've never heard before. It's going to be a long 10+ weeks...

I'm was thinking of getting a pair of Zu Soul superflys to pair with my Torii MK 4.However with the new Decware ERRx announcement from Steve, i'm seriously tempted and I'm back to the planning stage again.

Would appreciate any comments even from those who only heard the older ERR model.

Because I'm accustomed to HDT's, I'm used to the very direct, in your face presentation in the sweet spot. When I heard the ERR's last year at decfest, I noted how the sound came from everywhere. I didn't pay attention to sound stage. At this years decfest, when I heard the new ERRs, I was very intrigued and impressed... the speakers were quite close to me on the couch, but the music/soundstage was way back against the wall by or behind the amps. that trick was novel to me. I hadn't heard soundstage thrown back that far on other speakers. It usually floats between or just behind the speakers... not on the rear wall. really, I stared at the ERR's just 6 feet in front of me and couldn't believe the sound coming from 14 feet back was really coming from the speaker. I mentioned it to someone sitting next to me on the couch, but don't remember who it was. I don't remember this 'trick' on last years ERR's, but I might not have paid attention.

As a previous owner of RL1 speakers that became RL2 speakers and now an owner of ERR speakers, I can say that the older models projected that sort of image and sound stage with ease, and I imagine that the new model excels at this. What I saw as the biggest improvement through the development of the three models I have is the tonal balance, the midrange became progressively more transparent and bass both quicker and deeper.

Hi Gang, I've just been browsing back through my favourite Decware threads (I see my first input was back in 2006). I will keep browsing. It is great to see Decware products are still putting the rest to shame.It has probably been mentioned already (I haven't read that far), but when is Decfest 2014. I'm due for some holidays. A trip to ole Blimey is on the cards and maybe I can squeeze in a visit to USA.Cheers,ValiantakaGary

Hmmmm...I didn't hear the ERRx this year, or, like Steve did last year, didn't pay that much attention. I was more interested in hearing the Rachel amp with HDT's. Like Steve, I have HDT's and really like the sound in the sweet spot, although my pair does have a deep, wide sound stage. Probably room dependent. I'll have to listen more intently next year, especially if I get the Rachel I'm saving up for.

Valiant, Decfest is held every year on the fist full weekend in October, beginning on Friday at 10:00 AM. Look for info next year around august.

The nice thing about the Radial speakers, is that they are less dependent on the room, or room treatment to get that big soundstage. They project music more like the instruments that created the music.